Key Findings From A National Survey Of Voters

Transcription

1 Key Findings From A National Survey Of Voters

2 Methodology On behalf of the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO), Public Opinion Strategies and Hart Research Associates conducted a national survey of N=800 registered voters. The survey was conducted June 5-7, 2011 and has a margin of error of +3.5%. 1

3 What Matters to Voters?

4 Even in these fiscally focused times, finding cures to serious diseases ranks in the top tier of issues that matter to Americans. Personal Importance of Issues Ranked By %Very Important Improving the economy and creating good paying jobs. %Extremely Important (%10) %Very Important (%8-10) Top Tier Issues Improving the quality of public education. Reducing the federal budget deficit and government spending. Finding cures to help patients suffering from serious diseases such as cancer, Parkinson s disease, Alzheimer s disease, HIV/AIDS and multiple sclerosis. Combating terrorism at home in the United States and overseas. 3 Now, I would like you to consider the importance of some current issues. Using a ten point scale with ten being EXTREMELY IMPORTANT and one being NOT IMPORTANT, please tell me how important each issue is to you personally...although many of these issues may be important to you, please try to rate them according to what is MOST important to you personally. You can, of course, use any number between one and ten.

5 Ranking in the second tier of issues that matter to voters are other key areas of focus for the biotechnology industry. Personal Importance of Issues Ranked By %Very Important Developing alternative energy from renewable resources to serve as a significant replacement for traditional fossil fuels. %Extremely Important (%10) %Very Important (%8-10) Second Tier Issues Securing our borders and addressing the issue of illegal immigration. Alleviating the problem of hunger and malnutrition by increasing food production and enhancing its nutritional value. Reducing taxes. Protecting the environment from pollution and global warming. Third Tier Issues Improving the nation s roads and highways. Increasing taxes to pay for important government programs. 4 Now, I would like you to consider the importance of some current issues. Using a ten point scale with ten being EXTREMELY IMPORTANT and one being NOT IMPORTANT, please tell me how important each issue is to you personally...although many of these issues may be important to you, please try to rate them according to what is MOST important to you personally. You can, of course, use any number between one and ten.

6 How Do Voters Prioritize Government Spending?

7 Voters have a clear top set of funding priorities that includes Social Security, Medicare, education and defense. Federal Spending Priorities %Absolute Top Priority %Absolute/High Priority Social Security. Top Tier K through 12 education. Medicare, the federal government health care program for seniors. National defense. 6 As you may know, Congress is assessing its priorities when it comes to federal spending. For each of the following, please tell me if you think a continued commitment to federal spending in this area is an absolute top priority, a high but not top priority, a medium priority, a lower priority, or do you think this should not be a priority for federal spending?

8 However, continued funding for biotechnology research receives majority support in a second tier of priorities, far outpacing other areas of federal spending. Second Tier Federal Spending Priorities Medicaid, the federal government health care program for the poor. Research to find alternative sources of energy. Research to discover life saving medicines and cures. %Absolute Top Priority %Absolute/High Priority Unemployment insurance. Third Tier College loan and grant programs for students. Transportation and infrastructure projects. Federal assistance to state governments. 7 As you may know, Congress is assessing its priorities when it comes to federal spending. For each of the following, please tell me if you think a continued commitment to federal spending in this area is an absolute top priority, a high but not top priority, a medium priority, a lower priority, or do you think this should not be a priority for federal spending?

9 How Do Voters Perceive The Biotechnology Industry?

10 The image of biotechnology companies is solid and stable, continuing to garner a favorable opinion among roughly half the public. The Image of Biotechnology Companies % 48% 49% 47% 51% 48% 21% 12% Very Fav Unf October % No Opn May % 24% March 2007 April 2008 April % 17% 18% 20% Very Very 16% 16% 13% 10% 11% Very 9% Very 9% Very No No No No Fav Unf Opn Fav Unf Opn Fav Unf Opn Fav Unf Opn Fav Unf 18% 12% June 2011 No Opn 9 Please tell me, is your opinion of biotechnology companies very favorable, somewhat favorable, somewhat unfavorable, or very unfavorable? If you are unfamiliar with biotechnology companies just tell me and we ll move on.

11 Voters were given some information about biotechnology companies Biotechnology companies use biological processes and technology to develop medicines and cures for hard to treat, life threatening diseases. Biotechnology companies also develop different forms of alternative energy, environmentally friendly products, agricultural methods to increase food production to alleviate hunger and malnutrition, and protections against bioterror threats. 10

12 After hearing just a brief summary, voters impression of biotechnology companies sky-rockets. The Image of Biotechnology Companies Image Before Information Image After Information % Very 13% Very Favorable Unfavorable No Opinion Favorable Unfavorable 11 Now, after hearing this information, please tell me, is your opinion of biotechnology companies very favorable, somewhat favorable, somewhat unfavorable, or very unfavorable?

13 What Is The Role Of Government In The Biotech Industry?

14 A majority of voters believe the government should support the industry either through tax policies or direct funding. Role of Government in Biotech The federal government should enact tax policies designed to encourage private investment in this industry and these businesses. % Total Government Support The federal government should provide direct funds to this industry and these businesses. The federal government should play no role in helping this industry and these businesses. It should be left to the market and private investment. 13 Now, knowing some more about biotechnology companies and the biotech industry, when it comes to this industry and these businesses, what role, if any, should the federal government play?

15 There are some plausible arguments that can be made to support cut backs to federal spending on biotechnology research.

16 Highlighting the level of private funding in the biotech industry can be a persuasive argument for cutting back on federal funds to the industry. The biotech industry does not need federal funds. U.S. biotech companies invest several billion dollars annually in research and development and nearly all of the industry s funding comes from the private sector. The industry is growing, creating jobs and leading the world even during these tough economic times. Given our nation s debt, and the need to prioritize federal spending, funding for the biotech sector should be cut back. GOP IND DEM % Very Convincing Very Conv By Party % Total Convincing Tot Conv 15 Next please tell me how convincing the following statement is as a reason to support cut backs to federal spending on biotechnology research. Is it very convincing, somewhat convincing, not too convincing or not at all convincing?

17 Focusing on some of the controversial issues surrounding the biotech industry is less compelling. While biotech may have done some good for society, the industry can also present ethical and moral dilemmas as it experiments with DNA, genetic engineering and cloning. We have no way of knowing the long-term side effects of much of the work that is being done and we have no guarantee that companies are going to use their discoveries for the common good. Federal dollars should not be used to fund such controversial research, especially at a time when our nation is facing a debt crisis and needs to prioritize on federal spending. GOP IND DEM % Very Convincing Very Conv By Party % Total Convincing Tot Conv 16 Next please tell me how convincing the following statement is as a reason to support cut backs to federal spending on biotechnology research. Is it very convincing, somewhat convincing, not too convincing or not at all convincing?

18 However, messages that communicate how biotechnology can help patients, cut federal health care spending and save the budget trillions are persuasive in garnering voter support for a continued commitment to federal spending on biotechnology research.

19 Noting biotech s progress in fighting Alzheimer s and other serious diseases in the context of baby-boomers coming of Medicare age is convincing. Now that America s baby boomers have reached retirement age it means ten thousand new Medicare participants per day for the next nineteen years. It is estimated that as many as one-in-eight of these new enrollees will be diagnosed with Alzheimer s which means their Medicare expenses will be three times those of a healthy senior. America's biotechnology industry is working every day to cure Alzheimer's as well as diseases such as cancer, diabetes and Parkinson's. Curing these diseases will help patients, cut federal health care spending and save the American budget trillions. GOP IND DEM % Very Convincing Very Conv By Party % Total Convincing Tot Conv 18 Next please tell me how convincing the following statement is as a reason to support a continued commitment to federal spending on biotechnology research. Is it very convincing, somewhat convincing, not too convincing or not at all convincing?

20 Developing new medicines so fewer patients suffer from disease is a message that also has some resonance with voters. The best way to reduce Medicare and Medicaid costs is to develop innovative new medicines so fewer patients suffer from disease. America s biotechnology scientists and researchers are making real progress on finding cures for Alzheimer's, cancer, diabetes and Parkinson's disease, and one day Alzheimer s could be as preventable as polio. Curing these diseases will help patients, cut federal health care spending and save the American budget trillions. GOP IND DEM % Very Convincing Very Conv By Party % Total Convincing Tot Conv 19 Next please tell me how convincing the following statement is as a reason to support a continued commitment to federal spending on biotechnology research. Is it very convincing, somewhat convincing, not too convincing or not at all convincing?

21 How Do Voters Rate The Work That Is Being Done By Biotechnology Companies?

22 Advances in prevention and treatment for diseases are considered the most important contributions from the biotechnology industry. Work Being Done By Biotech Companies Ranked By % Very Important Biotechnology-based "clot buster" drugs allow doctors to dissolve blood clots, saving lives and reducing damage associated with heart attacks. Biotechnology has developed hundreds of diagnostic tests that keep the blood supply safe from the HIV/AIDS virus and detect other conditions early enough to be successfully treated. % Very Important % Total Important Top Tier Contributions Biotechnology is developing vaccines aimed at preventing and targeting many diseases ranging from flu to cancer and HIV, and it has succeeded in making enormous inroads in the prevention of infectious disease. Biotechnology has created more than two hundred fifty new therapies to help treat serious diseases such as cancer, Parkinson s disease, Alzheimer s disease, HIV/AIDS and multiple sclerosis, and it has more than six hundred new biologic medicines in development. Biotechnology is used to help with environmental cleanups such as oil and chemical spills. Biotechnology plays a role on the front lines of our national defense. It helps military units and disaster responders fight chemical weapons such as sarin gas and it is developing advanced vaccines to create new ways to protect against biologic weapons such as anthrax. Biotechnology is developing advances in personalized medicine allowing doctors to identify the most effective course of treatment for a patient, thereby reducing the potential for adverse side-effects and unnecessary health care costs. Biotechnology uses DNA and gene mapping to develop advanced medical diagnoses so that treatment can be tailored specifically to an individual patient and used to determine a person s risk of developing certain diseases such as cancer or diabetes. 21 Now, I am going to read to you some of the things the biotechnology industry is already doing or has done. For each one please tell me how important a contribution it is...is it VERY important, FAIRLY important, JUST SOMEWHAT important or NOT important?

23 Almost half of voters say it is very important that the industry employs so many people and pays a high annual wage. Work Being Done By Biotech Companies Ranked By % Very Important U.S. biotechnology employs almost 1.5 million people, pays a high annual average wage of more than $77,000 and supports an additional six million jobs. % Very Important % Total Important Second Tier Contributions Biotechnology-based agricultural methods reduce the environmental impact of farming by reducing the reliance on chemical pesticides, requiring less water use and increasing overall agricultural sustainability. Biotechnology helps create alternative fuels, including advanced biofuels made from renewable, non-food sources. Biotechnology-based agricultural methods have allowed farmers to increase food production and enhance its nutritional value without increasing the amount of land required for production. Biotechnology-based agricultural methods have allowed farmers to improve the nutritional content of food staples creating products such as rice fortified with Vitamin A which is critical for eyesight and anemia prevention. U.S. biotechnology is a multi-billion dollar industry that leads the world in innovation and product development. 22 Now, I am going to read to you some of the things the biotechnology industry is already doing or has done. For each one please tell me how important a contribution it is...is it VERY important, FAIRLY important, JUST SOMEWHAT important or NOT important?

24 Summary Observations

25 Summary Observations Even in these tough economic times, voters rate the importance of finding cures to diseases as one of the most important issues. A majority of voters say that it should be a top or high priority for Congress to commit to continued funding for research focused on alternative energy and finding cures for our most deadly diseases. 24

26 25 Summary Observations The case can be made for cutting back federal funds to biotech companies. BUT, voters are just as convinced that funding should be continued when they learn about the industry s work and how it can help both the health of patients and our country s financial situation. AND, a majority of voters say they would like to see some level of government support for the biotech industry, either in the form of tax policies or direct funds.

27 Neil Newhouse Geoff Garin